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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Obligations to the Hague tribunal must be fulfilled completely

Belgrade, 19 March 2005

Serbian Minister of Justice Zoran Stojkovic told the weekend edition of Danas daily that nine Hague suspects, who have recently surrendered voluntarily to the war crimes tribunal, realised that the state supports them as citizens, and added that the government has decided to support their families, a minimum that must be done for them. The government’s official website brings excerpts from the interview.

Zoran Stojkovic

Obligations of the state to its citizens:

On the day when I went to The Hague to give the guarantees for Milutinovic, Ojdanic and Sainovic, I read in their papers that the Dutch justice minister spent several days in Indonesia fighting for a Dutch citizen who was charged with drug trade and who will be tried in the Netherlands. The state has a commitment to all its citizens. All citizens are the same for the state, and there cannot be selective behaviour.

Talks with Hague tribunal officials:

President of The Hague Tribunal Theodore Meron asked that we hold talks, and I really cannot tell you the details. But there is satisfaction because of accelerated cooperation. The government has gained credibility, which must not be ruined by sluggishness and non-fulfilment of obligations. Most importantly, the OSCE will supervise the trials conducted in Serbia so as to establish whether we are capable to try according to standards. There is high probability that a number of cases will be returned to local judiciary.

Is the extradition of Ratko Mladic the condition that must be fulfilled?

We have to fulfil our obligations completely. There is the issue of Mladic, Karadzic and Gotovina. The Hague court will close its doors once the three of them are in The Hague. Mr. Meron said that.

The possibility of “freezing” the property of Hague suspects:

EU member states have decided to “freeze” the property of war crime indictees and recommended other countries do likewise. Our regulations are not strict about this possibility. The so-called “Small charter on human rights” says that property is inviolable and protected, except in cases stipulated by the law. So, the Council for Cooperation with The Hague Tribunal should suggest the Council of Ministers forward such proposal to the parliament so that a temporary ban on disposal of property becomes legal.

Does the government have a strategy and plan for fighting organised crime?

Corrupt elements need to be tackled first, as they are the ones that cause the most damage to society, after which comes the fight against organised crime. The task force set up of professors and justices is working thoroughly on the law on fighting organised crime. I expect that the law will enter the parliamentary procedure in the first half of this year. As for the fight against organised crime, the Ministry of Justice has done everything, starting from the joint resolution in Tirana signed by all regional ministries, with the assistance of Italy and Austria. We signed a joint declaration in order to act together in the region.